The invention relates to an apparatus for converting a multi-row stream of upright articles, in particular bottles, into a single row comprising a rectilinear supply conveyor provided with guide surfaces, an intermediate conveyor consisting of a rotating conical surface, a removal conveyor and a frame-fixed guide surface which in the direction of rotation of said surface extends spirally outwardly and intercepts the articles.
Such an apparatus is known from DE-PS 3,500,660. In the known apparatus a multi-row stream of upright bottles is moved on a rectilinear supply conveyor provided with guide faces. The rectilinear region of the supply conveyor is followed by a circular arcuate region which extends over an angle range of 90.degree.. Disposed in the center point of the circular arcuate section of the supply conveyor is the center point of the rotating surface, the outer circular boundary of which is tangential to the end of the rectilinear region of the supply conveyor and which adjoins the inner portion of the circular arcuate region of the supply conveyor. A frame-fixed outer guide surface running spirally inwardly extends over the circular region of the supply conveyor. A further inner frame-fixed guide surface starts at the end of the rectilinear region of the supply conveyor, extends from there approximately semicircularly to the center point of the supply conveyor and then continues as substantially spirally outwardly running guide surface. At the side of the intermediate conveyor opposite the circular region of the supply conveyor a removal conveyor partially surrounding the intermediate conveyor is arranged and carries away the single-row bottle stream produced by the intermediate conveyor.
US-PS 1,430,132 discloses an apparatus for converting a multi-row stream of upright articles to a single row in which said articles are brought onto a circular intermediate conveyor having a conical surface. On the side of the intermediate conveyor lying opposite the supply region a short guiding surface is disposed and is spaced from the outer boundary face of the supply conveyor such that between the two guide surfaces there is room for exactly one row of articles. The apparatus known from US-PS 1,430,132 has the following disadvantages: firstly, the articles to be singled out must in some cases run round the intermediate conveyor several times before they are carried off in a single row stream; the apparatus thus does not operate efficiently. Secondly, the articles touch each other on the removal conveyor; thus, between the articles arranged in a single row there are no intermediate spaces as may be necessary for subsequent further processing.
US-PS 3,049,215 and US-PS 2,941,651 disclose an apparatus for converting a multi-row stream of articles, in particular ore and rock lumps, to a single row. The articles are supplied by a supply conveyor to an intermediate conveyor The latter consists of a rotating conical surface. A frame-fixed guide surface extending spirally outwardly in the direction of rotation of said conical surface intercepts the articles. Said guide surface is however made only slightly spiral. The articles can thus strike against the guide surface with a relatively large radial velocity component The apparatuses known from said patent specifications are therefore not suitable for separating out sensitive articles such as in particular bottles. Other articles with which there is a danger of falling over, for example cans, also cannot be singled out with the apparatuses known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,049,215 and 2,941,651. On the contrary, the known apparatuses are suitable only for converting to a single row articles of the type where the position is not important, i.e. which may tip over, for example ore or rock lumps.